The Business of HockeyDiscuss the financial and business aspects of the NHL. Topics may include the CBA, work stoppages, broadcast contracts, franchise sales, expansion and relocation, and NHL revenues.

Sure hope NBC reconsiders those early starts. After watching the Saturday late games, and catching up on sleep, its' tough to watch a game at half past noon next day. And I'm on the east coast. It must be ridiculous for west coasters.

I just don't understand this. Does pro golf really have that big an audience? Is it a matter of having 1 main event rather than 30 teams?

Was it a big tournament?

I know some countries have bigger followings for individual sports compared to team base. One example is Norway, who does have a big following in both football and hockey, but the country's number one sport is ski jumping and other forms of skiing.

I know some countries have bigger followings for individual sports compared to team base. One example is Norway, who does have a big following in both football and hockey, but the country's number one sport is ski jumping and other forms of skiing.

My perception of the North American audience is the opposite -- team sports get the most interest, and with rare exceptions the biggest individual stars are in the team sports.

Golf gets pretty big ratings, even the smaller tournaments get quite a few eyes. Golf also is a "4 day" event, starts on Thurs, goes to Sunday for a lot of tournaments. Not surprised it gets the ratings it does.

I think it's because a lot of people play golf, and it's easy to aspire/dream that "hey I just have to work on my game and I have a chance at the pros!" Okay, that's simplistic, but it isn't like a team sport where you have to be drafted, you can play a lot and try and work your way to the "qualification" tourneys if you get good enough (but have to be very good just to get a sniff of qualification tourney)

I know some countries have bigger followings for individual sports compared to team base. One example is Norway, who does have a big following in both football and hockey, but the country's number one sport is ski jumping and other forms of skiing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tinalera

Golf gets pretty big ratings, even the smaller tournaments get quite a few eyes. Golf also is a "4 day" event, starts on Thurs, goes to Sunday for a lot of tournaments. Not surprised it gets the ratings it does.*

I think it's because a lot of people play golf, and it's easy to aspire/dream that "hey I just have to work on my game and I have a chance at the pros!" Okay, that's simplistic, but it isn't like a team sport where you have to be drafted, you can play a lot and try and work your way to the "qualification" tourneys if you get good enough (but have to be very good just to get a sniff of qualification tourney)

Tiger was in contention.

That tells you all you need to know. OH, and he won.
Golf ratings explode when Tiger's in it on Sunday, and especially if he's leading.
even I was all over it.. and i don't watch normally... Only when the leaders are of some interest... Els, Mickelson, Bubba, etc.. and especially Tiger.

Friday’s Blackhawks/Avalanche NHL regular season game, the Blackhawks’ first regulation loss of the 2013 season, earned a 5.20 rating on CSN+ in the Chicago market. The game marked the end of the Blackhawks’ record 24-game points streak. On Sunday, Oilers/Blackhawks — the Blackhawks’ second-straight loss — earned a 6.08 on CSN Chicago. Though both games fell short of the Blackhawks’ recent run of record ratings (seven games this season earned higher ratings than Sunday’s game), the numbers still topped all Blackhawks games on CSN prior to this season. (Comcast)

Rangers Trouncing Devils, Islanders

Quote:

To the surprise of few, the New York Rangers are easily the top NHL draw in the New York market. So far this season, Rangers games have averaged a 1.80 rating on MSG Network, topping the Devils (0.55) by 227% and the Islanders (0.47) by 283%. All three teams are up over 65% compared to last year’s full-season averages. (MSG Network)

1) Bruins games will be inflated naturally due to a later start and fewer games.
2) Celtic ratings at 3 are very good, top 5 in the NBA.
3) Back 4 years ago Bruins were under 3 in the low 2's
4) Bruins ratings are beating the Red Sox

So again the Bruins ratings are quite good but let's not go overboard and claim it is a hockeytown way before it is a basketball town.
Bruins are just experiencing a big high.

1) Bruins games will be inflated naturally due to a later start and fewer games.
2) Celtic ratings at 3 are very good, top 5 in the NBA.
3) Back 4 years ago Bruins were under 3 in the low 2's
4) Bruins ratings are beating the Red Sox

So again the Bruins ratings are quite good but let's not go overboard and claim it is a hockeytown way before it is a basketball town.
Bruins are just experiencing a big high.

Boston Bruins games have averaged a 7.0 rating on NESN so far this season, on pace to shatter last year’s full-season record of 4.7. By comparison, the Celtics averaged a 3.1 on Comcast SportsNet New England during the first half of the NBA season, and the Red Sox averaged a 6.4* on NESN during the 2012 MLB campaign. (NESN)

to me, that is so amazing. i expected a 0.6. reason why... now it was ST PATRICK'S day parade in boston where close to 1 million attended. i just don't see anyone in BOS not going to this parade for the game. now can you imagine if there was no parade that day, just how big that rating would have been?

despite losing the hundred's of thousands of bos viewers, nbc still managed to get 1.2. i think if st patty's wasn't sunday, it would have broke or come very close to the 1.9 record NBC got 2 weeks ago with CHI/DET..

oh and there was also 2 big final day college basketball games on at same time that drew big #'s.. so considering all this, this game on NBC did great.

to me, that is so amazing. i expected a 0.6. reason why... now it was ST PATRICK'S day parade in boston where close to 1 million attended. i just don't see anyone in BOS not going to this parade for the game. now can you imagine if there was no parade that day, just how big that rating would have been?

despite losing the hundred's of thousands of bos viewers, nbc still managed to get 1.2. i think if st patty's wasn't sunday, it would have broke or come very close to the 1.9 record NBC got 2 weeks ago with CHI/DET..

oh and there was also 2 big final day college basketball games on at same time that drew big #'s.. so considering all this, this game on NBC did great.

You can't understand MLB's TV situation if you ignore the local cable deals. Just looking at the national broadcasts is an apples and oranges comparison.

Didn't the Dodgers just sign a $7B/25 year local cable deal in LA? I think the Lakers only got $3B for 20 years. Amazing that the Dodgers, who haven't won a pennant in 25 years, get almost 2x as much local revenue as the perennial NBA superpower Lakers.

I don't watch the NBA or MLB and know very little about cable vs national deals but the NBA plays 72 games and MLB plays 162. In addition to that I would bet the Lakers lose more games to the national broadcaster than the Dodgers do.

All things being equal (no games lost to national broadcasts), the Dodgers get ~$43 Million per broadcast while Lakers get ~$41 Million per broadcast. Of course that doesn't include the fact that the Dodgers deal is for a Dodgers channel...TWC gets more than just the games...they get all the extra programming they can broadcast on the channel that is Dodger related.

I don't watch the NBA or MLB and know very little about cable vs national deals but the NBA plays 72 games and MLB plays 162. In addition to that I would bet the Lakers lose more games to the national broadcaster than the Dodgers do.

All things being equal (no games lost to national broadcasts), the Dodgers get ~$43 Million per broadcast while Lakers get ~$41 Million per broadcast.

Told you I don't pay attention That's like 81 games too many for my taste!

I looked it up, TWC loses 12 home games to TNT and ABC this year so TWC got 70 broadcasts. My number still bascially stands: So change the revenue to ~$43 Million per game (same as Dodgers but without all the extra programming).

According to Sports Business Daily (subscription required), NBC Sports Network is currently averaging a 0.3 rating (up 50 percent from 2011-12) and 448,000 viewers (up 35 percent) through 27 telecasts, with the viewership on pace to set a record for whatever NBCSN has been called (VERSUS/OLN) since it acquired NHL rights in 2005. Meanwhile, Wednesday night games have proven especially beneficial, as the network's Wednesday Night Rivalry series averages 682,000 viewers per week.

Any info on how that compares to the final years of their ESPN2 deal? I believe it's surpassed those ESPN numbers, correct?

that's a great question, my friend. i too would like to know if hockey today has bigger tv ratings than it did in 2004.

if it was possible, i would have also love to have known if hockey today has bigger ratings than it did in the 80's and early 90's when hockey games were fun and wide open and games were 6-4 finals instead of 3-1 like today. i wonder if more americans watched hockey during that time when Mario and Wayne made hockey so fun and 6 players each yr had 150+ pts, unlike today.

it's too bad there isn't a graph on popularity of hockey in the U.S from 1950 to now.. i've always wondered if hockey was alwys the 4th popular sport in america, or was it maybe 2nd when it was original 6 back in the 50's and 60's with Beliveau, rocket, Hull, Orr, Espo, Howe, etc....

anyhow buddy, great question and hopefully someone will be able to answer your question.